Students entering fourth through sixth grades are part of our Intermediate Department. Children of this age begin to reach out for both personal and social standards. As they consolidate the growth of their earlier years, we begin to offer a more formal course in Jewish ethics. We give students the opportunity to come to their own decisions through a study of the teachings of our Jewish traditions. By internalizing the teachings and attaining personal insights, we believe students can best reach a deeper understanding of Jewish ethics, which will lead to future ethical living. This philosophy continues on through to Confirmation.

Fourth Grade
Israel, tzedakah, prayer and God are the major units of study. The students begin to understand tzedakah as much more than dropping a quarter into a can. Group discussions and participation in thinking through problems are keys to significant learning experiences. Maimonides' Eight Steps are understood through concrete examples. Actual service to the Jewish community solidifies their learning.

There is a strong conscious effort to bring God into classroom discussions and experiences. The text, Lessons From Our Living Past, a treasury of Aggadic tales from the folk-heritage of the Jewish people, has been selected for its relevance to the Jewish self-image.

The prayer unit takes the student beyond the basic learning of prayers from our Siddur: "What kinds of prayers are there?" "What is the difference between praying alone versus praying in a community?" "How do I feel when I pray?" Many questions are tackled and answered. The unit culminates in a worship service created by the fourth graders.

We also want our fourth graders to develop an awareness of the community of the people of Israel. In order to strengthen their Jewish identity, the children will study not only the history of Israel, but its geography and way of life, including an in-depth study of the kibbutz and city life.

The holiday focus is on the High Holy Days and Yom HaAtzma'ut with students studying from a personal and historical perspective versus a simpler, ritual outlook. This expanded study of holidays continues on through Confirmation.

Fifth Grade
The Jewish Life Cycle and the Five Books of Moses are the focus of fifth grade. We strive to help our students understand the Jewish view of life and the Jews' special way of celebrating important moments from birth until death. The concepts of birth, Brit Milah, naming, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, marriage, home, aging, and death are studied in a way that integrates the traditions of our ancestors with a relevant set of practices for the modern person.

Many hands-on activities and actual life cycle celebrations take place. The Jewish calendar is interwoven through the year so that it can become a more comfortable part of the students' lives. The Five Books of Moses becomes a major resource.

Sixth Grade
The sixth grade focuses on Tanach and the Land of Israel. Following a review of the Biblical period of Abraham through Moses, the students enter the world of the Kings and Prophets. The children are at an age when they can understand and relate to Jewish history. They are conscious of their past and we hope to ignite an interest in Biblical history and how it relates to us today. Not only will they learn of the great contributions to our people's history, they will be touched by the great moral teachings our ancestors left behind. The Biblical study will cover Joshua to the destruction of the Second Temple. We strive, as well, to instill an interest in and love of Eretz Yisrael, past and present.